Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark has made changes to the Council’s governance structure, following his mid-term review.

The changes, which are set to come into effect on 1 July 2024, will see changes to existing Council committee structures and the appointment of two new Chairs.

The committees will be: Risk and Assurance, Infrastructure and Projects, Community Wellbeing and Regulatory, and Finance and Policy. These committees will be chaired by independent consultant Ross Jackson, Cr Grant Dermody, Cr Darren Ludlow and Cr Lesley Soper, respectively.

Clark said last week, the mid-term review was part of a commitment he had made at the start of his term.

“When I became Mayor in 2022, I had made a promise to the ratepayers that I would review the Governance structure of our committees to ensure we as a Council were focused on delivering the best outcomes for our city.

“As part of my review I have taken into consideration not just the skills and experience of Council members but also their commitment and connection to the community along with development opportunities for potential future leaders.

The new structure enables this and I’m looking forward to seeing the progress the Chairs can make in these newly formed committees.”

Clark said the changes would also create better alignment across the Council.

“The amalgamation of Infrastructure and Projects, Community Wellbeing and Regulatory, and Finance and Policy areas into new governance committees make sense as many of these areas fall under the responsibility of a single CouncilGroup Manager. This will ensure that we’re utilising Council and management’s time efficiently and effectively.”

Clark thanked Cr Ian Pottinger for his time, commitment and input into his outgoing role as Chair of the Infrastructure committee.